Cora to interview Tuesday; Riggleman not a candidate

Former Mariner second baseman Joey Cora, now the bench coach with the Chicago White Sox, will interview for the Mariners’ vacant managerial job Tuesday morning.

Tuesday afternoon Diamondbacks third base coach Chip Hale will drop by for an interview with general manager Jack Zduriencik.

They are two of the seven men Zduriencik has chosen to interview. Each of the seven would be a first-time manager at the big league level. No veteran managers, including last year’s second-half skipper, Jim Riggleman, are being considered at this time, Zduriencik said.

Brad Mills, the bench coach of the Boston Red Sox began the interview process Monday afternoon.

Before the week is over, Zduriencik hopes to talk with a total of seven candidates, the others being DeMarco Hale, the Boston third base coach, Jose Oquendo, the Cardinals’ third base coach, Randy Ready, the manager of San Diego’s Triple-A Portland team, and Don Wakamatsu, the Oakland bench coach.

This was the first-ever managerial interview for Mills, who said ”when you get a chance to interview for a job in a city like this, you don’t take it lightly.”

Mills, a protege of Boston manager Terry Francona, who recommended him to Zduriencik.